Expanding the capabilities of your dental practice with new dental X-ray equipment is exciting for both you and your staff. This is especially true when you’re making the leap from 2D panoramic functionality to dental CBCT (dental cone beam computed tomography) for the first time.
Adding a new dental X-ray machine to your practice, especially a state of the art dental cone beam system, not only has the potential to improve the level of care you offer to your patients, it can also add additional procedures to the list of services you currently offer. By adding more services and becoming more efficient, upgrading to a dental CBCT can often result in a very fast return on investment.
The implementation of a new dental cone beam imaging system, which will expand your practice’s capabilities, requires an investment in time and other resources. It only makes sense to make sure your current and prospective patients know about the new services and improved level of care you may be able to offer with this new technology. It also makes sense to inform your referrals and other dental professionals about the new dental cone beam system to help enhance the perception of your practice and increase your patient referral base. If you’ve just added a new dental CBCT machine to expand your business, here are a few “tips and tricks” to help market this new technology to both patients and referrals alike.
The Importance of Marketing Your Dental CBCT System
The most obvious place you can make a quick announcement regarding your expanded practice functionality is on your website. Your website, which can reach patients and dental professionals throughout your geographic area, is a great place to educate both current and prospective patients about your new technology.
You’ll want to begin the process by conducting research about the manufacturer and model of your new dental CBCT system before compiling the content for your website. You’ll also want to make sure that all of the claims you make are factual and apply to your exact dental cone beam system since there are many different types of dental cone beam models in the market and some of them offer similar, but not identical, functionality.
Start by looking at the websites of other dental professionals in your area. If none of the dentists or specialists in your region offer competitive services or utilize a similar dental cone beam machine, consider looking elsewhere in the country for general dental or specialty practices such as yours that use the same or similar dental X-ray equipment.
See what these other dental professionals have to say about their dental cone beam imaging technology, and how they advertise it to their patient base. If possible, focus on practices that use the same machine as the one to which you have recently upgraded, as well as practices that offer the same types of services as yours.
This should give you an idea about the type of promotional or marketing content you want to create for your own website, how you want to frame your services, and how you can explain that dental cone beam can improve patient care. Of course, be sure not to repurpose any other dental professional’s content; use their ideas only, don’t use their exact words.
One more place to find some helpful information is on the manufacturer’s website or the website of the dealer from which you purchased the equipment. Look at some of the details, features, and benefits that they highlight, and see if they are relevant to your patients and referrals from the standpoint of your practice and the services that you offer.
Crafting Content
Once you’ve done your research on your market and on the new dental CBCT machine you’re going to be marketing, you can start putting together content to use on your website.
-Include images: A picture says a thousand words. Even though some patients might not know exactly what they’re looking at, photographs are personal and capture attention. Because of copyright concerns, it’s best to obtain the consent of the dealer or manufacturer before using their images. Contact their respective marketing departments and they may be able to furnish you with images for use on your website. Additionally, if you’re going to be featuring pictures of any of your staff or patients on your website, be sure to secure their written consent to do so as well.
It’s also a good practice to add sample dental CBCT images to your website so visitors can get an impression of the types of images and the detailed clinical information that dental cone beam CT systems produce. If your system also has cephalometric or panoramic imaging capabilities, be sure to include sample images for these modalities as well. (NOTE: For HIPAA reasons, make sure none of your featured images contain any protected health information (PHI) such as patient names, birthdates, contact information or other unique identifiers, whatsoever.)
-Offer a definition of dental CBCT : Some patients may not understand what dental CBCT is, how it works, or if or why it has any advantages. Some might be cautious about having their images captured with these newer devices. In ways that patients can understand, explain what dental CBCT is and how it can be used to enhance patient care, such as for advanced, accurate treatment planning or faster, more efficient and effective treatment.
-Elaborate on the features and benefits of dental CBCT: For the benefit of your patients, list out the benefits of CBCT as well as the procedures it supports. For example, you might want to point out that your dental CBCT system includes a high-resolution setting that provides greater detail to assist in planning endodontic or root canal procedures, if applicable. Or, if your practice offers dental implants, explain that dental cone beam facilitates thorough planning of the implant procedure from start to finish, even enabling a patient to see their new smile before it is finished. In all examples, stress that the primary benefit of the new CBCT system is that it can be used for more accurate treatment planning and improved patient care.
Explain what 3D field of view (FOV) means, what FOV settings are offered by your new dental cone beam CT system, and which dental applications each of the FOV sizes can be used for. Describe how the cone beam system limits radiation exposure to the area of interest for the safest exam possible. Be sure to explain that the dental CBCT system can help your practice improve its standard of care, enabling more accurate diagnoses and assisting with more effective strategies for treatment planning.
-Address radiation safety: Some patients may be concerned about radiation safety relative to the dental CBCT system. Explain that CBCT has been used in general dental and dental specialty practices for over two decades, and that radiation exposure is limited to the areas of interest. Further, explain that doses associated with dental cone beam CT exams are administered in accordance with the ALARA principle, As Low As Reasonably Achievable.
You should also explain what X-ray radiation is and how it is used to produce a dental cone beam image. Explain to your patients that dental CBCT and medical CT scans are not the same. Although some patients might believe them to be identical, show them that the technologies used, and the radiation doses administered are completely different. It may be helpful to include any illustrations or charts comparing dental cone beam vs. medical CT scans to help put your patients at ease. Be sure to obtain permission before using any copyrighted content, however.
When discussing radiation dose, offer simple explanations and comparison to radiation dose equivalents in daily life, when possible. Objective metrics are useful scientifically, but most patients will understand a comparison such as “equivalent to a day in the sun” or “equal to a standard panoramic X-ray” much more easily. One more note: if your practice offers pediatric services and captures images of children or teenagers, include pediatric-specific radiation safety information to put parents’ minds at ease.
-Addressing cost and insurance coverage: It may not be in your best interest to elaborate too heavily on the details associated with the cost of a scan or how it may be covered by insurance, but it is worth mentioning. You can always highlight the benefits associated with the superior imaging quality, detail, and diagnostic value delivered by dental CBCT imaging to help offset your patients’ concerns about cost.
-Finally, be sure to add your contact information in a prominent, readily accessible location on your dental cone beam web page. Clearly offer your readers channels by which they can contact you with any questions about the new dental cone beam system. In addition to having your contact information available on this page, it’s also a good practice to have it listed elsewhere on your website, such as in the top navigation or at the footer of the website.
Marketing through Patient Communications
If your practice distributes text or email-based communications such as appointment reminders or e-newsletters, include a link in them to your new dental cone beam website content, where interested patients can learn more about the capabilities of the new dental CBCT system. Letters and postcards are other great avenues by which to raise awareness of your new services; include photographs of the unit as well as sample 3D scans to capture interest and heighten attention. Remember to remove any PHI and obtain necessary approvals before publishing any photographs.
Dental appointments are another great way to expand awareness of your new dental cone beam system, especially if patients are visiting for a CBCT scan for the first time. You can explain all of the relevant features and benefits of the cone beam unit and even show them the captured scan once complete. It is likely that they will be very impressed by the detail of the scan, especially if they had only seen 2D panoramic images previously. They will be excited to see their teeth and facial structures in 3-dimensions and may even ask for a copy to show to friends and family.
During the cone beam exam, patients may ask questions about radiation and radiation safety, in which case you should be prepared to address their concerns. Keep a radiation chart on hand for easy reference and be ready to discuss radiation comparisons to common activities, such as “equal to a day in the sun,” or “about the same radiation as a standard 2D panoramic X-ray,” if applicable. You may also be able to secure more information about radiation dosage and exposure from the manufacturer to help alleviate any patient’s’ concerns. Be sure you and your staff are well educated on radiation output and safety measures so that you remain trusted advisors to your patients and don’t give them any cause for alarm.
The manufacturer or dealer is another great resource to obtain promotional or educational materials that you can distribute to your patients. Contact them to see if they have any pamphlets, info sheets or FAQ documents that you can offer your patients for reference. Even better, you can gather some of the most frequently asked questions from your own patients and/or staff and then create your own materials. This will ensure relevance to your operations and gives you the ability to include information about your practice and staff if you so choose.
Marketing to Your Referrals
While adding a dental CBCT machine to your practice is great news for both your staff and your patients, it’s also a good idea to advertise the addition of this new technology to your colleagues and referrals as well. If you’ve recently invested in a new dental cone beam CT system, make sure you tell fellow professionals about it to “get the word out.”
You may be able to partner with nearby dental professionals that don’t yet have CBCT systems. Reach out to local practices and see if they wish to refer patients to you for fee-based cone beam exams. Neighboring practices might also be willing to refer patients to you to treat more complex procedures that require a dental cone beam scan. Either way, your practice can benefit.
Adding a dental cone beam system to your practice gives you an immense amount of flexibility and countless options for building your business and generating additional streams of revenue. It will enhance the professional perception and reputation of your practice and can benefit your fellow dental professionals as well as you, your staff, and your patients.
Adding Affordable Dental CBCT to Your Practice
Many dental and dental specialty practices have been reluctant to upgrade to dental CBCT systems because of the substantial initial startup costs. New dental cone beam systems can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $150,000 or more depending on equipment brand, not to mention the hidden installation, training and start-up costs. However, there are ways to add a dental CBCT system to your practice much more affordably, and much sooner than your budget would typically allow.
For over a decade, Renew Digital has been delivering certified pre-owned panoramic X-ray and dental CBCT systems to dental and dental specialty practices at a fraction of the cost of purchasing new. In many cases, they have saved these practice owners up to 50% off new list prices for the very same dental equipment. Renew Digital, the proven leader in used dental extraoral imaging systems, thoroughly tests and inspects each unit against manufacturer’s specifications and the company’s own stringent requirements before they are offered for sale to ensure they are delivering the highest quality, most dependable used dental equipment in the market.
Each dental X-ray machine and cone beam purchase includes professional installation by certified technicians, as well as training for your staff, to help your team more quickly adapt to the use of the new technology. Each unit is also covered by a comprehensive onsite service and replacement parts warranty and is backed by Renew Digital’s own expert Help Desk for complete peace of mind. Be sure to check out our numerous 5-star reviews to see what actual customers are saying about Renew Digital.
Our sales staff will help you find the perfect dental CBCT system for your practice by considering your clinical requirements, the needs of your patients, and your projected budget. Call Renew Digital today at 888-246-5611 or contact us online. If you have a current panoramic X-ray or dental cone beam machine that you would like to trade in, be sure to ask about our trade-in program to help make your dental cone beam purchase even more affordable.
